More Than We Could Have Thought
by peachie bee
Summary: What if it's more complicated then simply finding the anti-virus? XANA may have been holding back all along... WOOHOO UxY JxA maybe OxS
1. Default Chapter

This is my first FanFic, and I would really appreciate any reviews you can give me! Thanks! Just so you know, this story takes place after Aelita has been materialized, so Jeremey is already searching for an anti-virus. Also, the chapter titles are just five words from the chapter. At the end of each chapter, I'll tell you what the next chapter title will be. Sort of like a sneak peek. A really sucky five-word sneak peek, but whatever.

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko. (Damn)

More Than We Could Have Thought Chapter 1 This is a feeling Jeremie

_'The sky in Lyoko doesn't really change'_ Aelita noted, as she looked up at it. She had a memory of the sky on Earth and how much it had changed in just one day. Aelita sighed, and shifted her position on the rock she had been laying on so that she was sitting, with her head in her hands. Something was really bothering her. _'There are so many things I can't understand,'_ she thought, _'And this feeling is one of them.'_ Aelita tried to gather her thoughts, and started talking to herself. "It's definitely a negative feeling," she said, "I know what it has to do with, just not what it is. I am having this feeling because of my friends. They risk too much for me. If it wasn't for me, they could shut XANA off. They wouldn't need anyone to deactivate towers. It's my fault." And suddenly she knew what the feeling was. Aelita had a good memory, but she hadn't spent enough time on Earth to experience everything. Before she had met Ulrich, Yumi, Odd, and Jeremie, there really hadn't been much reason for her to feel things. Just fear and anger, for XANA. Now that she knew about feelings, they were there all the time, but sometimes she would get an unfamiliar one. Aelita knew what guilt meant, and, though she had never felt it before, she knew she was feeling it now. "Not good," Aelita mumbled, "It's terrible." "Aelita? Who are you talking to?" Jeremie's voice rang out over Lyoko. "Hi Jeremie. I was just talking to myself." Aelita answered quickly, wondering how much he had heard. "Aelita, are you okay? If there's something you want to talk about...." Aelita would have liked to tell him what was on her mind, but something inside her said, _"No, this is a feeling Jeremie doesn't need to know about."_ "No, Jeremie. There's nothing." She could hear Jeremie clear his throat, "Right. On to the anti-virus."

"Odd." Ulrich whispered, trying not to attract the teacher's attention. "Odd! I'm trying to talk to you!" Odd picked his head up off his desk, "Yeah, what is it that's so important you had to wake me up?" Ulrich said, "What do you think of Yumi thinking?" Odd blinked. "Dude you haven't made sense for like three days. It's obvious why, so just admit it." Ulrich's neck got very red, and he tried to change the subject, "Jeremy being 'sick' again?" Odd nodded, "Yeah, he's not going to let up until he finds an anti-virus." Ulrich said, "He's missed every class but history for a week." Odd frowned, "Why not history?" Ulrich's face went blank in a dreamy sort of way, "He promise help her that subject with.....Yumi." Odd rolled his eyes, "Do the world a favor and don't even try to talk about Yumi, okay?" But Ulrich didn't hear him.

Yumi stared at the clock, willing it to move faster. She couldn't stand history. She scratched absent-mindedly at the desk with her pencil, only to find she had written the word 'Ulrich.' She erased it, looking around to make sure no one had seen. The bell rang, and Yumi ran to the cafeteria.

Odd nudged Ulrich in the ribs, "Oh look here she comes." Yumi ran up to the table, and took a seat next to Jeremie, across from Ulrich. "Hi," Ulrich managed to say, which was a lot better than it could have been. Yumi smiled at him, and Ulrich almost fell out of his seat. _"Odd is right. If I could just tell her how I feel, I wouldn't act like such an idiot all the time. It's not as if she doesn't already know, but if I could just ask her."_ Jeremie brought Ulrich back to Earth when he said, "I've almost done it. I'm serious, one more night. I've got to go." Yumi stood up, "You didn't eat anything!" Jeremie just shook his head, whispered, "One more night..." and he ran off. Yumi sighed, and sat back down. "You think he's really that close?" Yumi asked the two of them. "Either that, or he's crazy. "Odd said seriously. Ulrich added, "Both seem equally likely. Do you remember last time Jeremie ate anything? He wasn't at breakfast." Yumi and Odd both shook their heads.

"Aelita, we're so close." Aelita could hear the excitement in Jeremie's voice. She said, "You've been here a lot lately. Don't you have to go to sleep, and classes-""None of that matters," Jeremie cut her off, and his voice sounded slightly hysterical. "We need to hurry. We could get it done by tomorrow." Aelita felt the horrible twinge of guilt deep in her stomach, and then she realized that the sooner she could be materialized, the sooner she would be free of that feeling. "Okay. Lets get to work."

"Ulrich." Yumi said, turning to him, "Can I talk to you? After school?" Odd seemed to have wandered off somewhere. Ulrich suddenly couldn't breathe. If she told him before he told her it would all be wrong. That settled it then. He would have to act, right after school. He nodded, "I'll walk you home." Yumi smiled. He was going to walk her home. She liked the way that sounded, like he was her boyfriend or something. _"He will be,"_ Yumi thought, _"He has to be."_ "So," Yumi said, "Do you want to-""Sure," Ulrich said, not needing to hear the rest of her sentence. They walked to the park together.

Yumi beat Ulrich spectacularly the first three rounds. Then Ulrich caught her by surprise, tripping her, and giving her an extra kick before she hit the ground. Yumi landed in a heap. "Yumi! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" Ulrich turned Yumi over and shook her gently. Yumi opened her eyes, half wanting to pretend she wasn't okay, just to stay in Ulrich's arms. "You beat me!" Yumi said, trying, but failing to sound angry. Ulrich said, "Yeah...." And the bell rang.

Jeremie collapsed on to his bed. He had done it. He had the anti-virus. There were a lot of risks, but as long as they made the right preparations it had to work. It would be rough, but there was no other way. Besides, Jeremie just couldn't wait any longer. He had done it.

"Jeremie!" Aelita sounded terrified, "He knows!" Jeremie sat up so fast, he heard a spring pop under the mattress. "What do you mean?" "X.A.N.A. knows what we've done! I can feel his anger! Jeremie, he's _furious_!"

Ulrich stared at the empty seat. Where could Odd be? He had mysteriously disappeared at lunch, but Ulrich had assumed he had gone off for more food. But now he wasn't in class, and Ulrich was worried. Odd could have at least called him. '_If it was X.A.N.A., we would already know"_ Ulrich turned his attention back to what he really wanted to think about.

Yumi had finished her fifth drawing of Ulrich. Ignoring whatever it was that the teacher was saying, she folded it carefully, and put it in her pocket with the others making a mental note to eat them when she got home. Then she drew Kiwi sitting on Aelita's lap. Maybe she would give this one to Jeremie.

Class seemed to go on late into the night, and Yumi was about to explode by the time the bell rang. She left the building as quickly as possible, nearly knocking Millie down the stairs. Ulrich was waiting for her, with a worried expression on his face. "Have you seen Odd?" He asked a soon as she walked up. "No, why?" Yumi didn't want him to be focused on Odd right now. She wanted him to be focused on _her_. Ulrich said, "He wasn't in class. Hey, wait, there he is!" Ulrich and Yumi ran up to Odd who was sitting on the ground, looking amazingly happy. "Hey, where were you? Why didn't you come to class?" Ulrich asked Odd. Odd looked up at them, and then burst out laughing. Taking deep breaths, he managed to say, "Class. You guys are so weird. I didn't want to." And then he was laughing again. Ulrich raised his eyebrows at Yumi. "Let's go." she said, grabbing Ulrich's hand (she hasn't got time for Odd right now). Ulrich nodded, and they began to walk.

"So. What did you want to talk about," Ulrich said, squeezing Yumi's hand lightly. _'That wasn't what you were supposed to say'_ he told himself angrily. Yumi blushed and said, "Whatever you wanted to talk about,"_'She's giving you a perfect chance!'_ The voice inside Ulrich's head was screaming. Ulrich stopped, and looked into Yumi's eyes. He had to do it now. "Yumi. I want you to go out with me. Will you be my girlfriend?"

Fireworks went off inside of Yumi. YES!!! This was all she wanted. Life was good. The sky was blue, the grass was green, and Ulrich had admitted he liked her. She found herself lost in his face. She had never realized he had a nose before..._'You have to say something!'_ She reminded herself. Right. "Yes. That's what I want." Yumi felt Ulrich's arm slip around her waist. Together they walked, deliberately taking random turns to make it last longer.

Odd was confused. He walked into the park. It was starting to get dark. Getting dark. There was something hilarious about that. Odd Laughed like a lunatic, and found it hurt when he tried to stop. He got an urge to sprint, so he did, and ran right smack into a tree. He tried to gather his thoughts. He couldn't. He started singing very loudly, but it made him dizzy, so he stopped. He sneezed. He collapsed onto the ground. He sneezed more violently. And again. And again. He was sure his eyeballs would pop out, but it wouldn't stop.

By the time they got to Yumi's house it was dark. They stopped underneath the streetlamp, which made Ulrich nervous. He quickly glanced at the house to make sure no one was looking out a window. Yumi was looking at him. The light from the streetlamp reflected in her eyes, making them look like stars. He knew what she wanted, and he wanted it too. He leaned forward. Yumi turned her head ever so slightly to the right, and they kissed. Lip to lip, perfect and pure. For one second it was more beautiful than he could have imagined. Then the light in Yumi's eyes flickered, and the streetlamp burst into flames.

(ummm, that's the end, yeah) Please tell me if it's worth continuing. If so, the next chapter will be called Odd won't let me think


	2. Odd Won't Let Me Think

**UN IRA!!!! **Ummmmm, I mean, on to chapter two!!!

IndustrialFear: Perhaps there will be sex in the possible sequel, but I'm trying to keep this one at PG-13. Though it is annoying to me, I'm trying to keep in mind that Ulrich is only 13. (Gurg, I wish he were older) And I'm gonna try to paragraph, but it might be crazy cuz I've never been able to do it right. and sorry if it's hard to tell who we're with, kinda just have to figure it out. I know this chapter is a bit confusing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko, or any songs that might happen to be by The Clash, or anything else.

Ch. 2 Odd Won't Let Me Think

Aelita was hysterical with fear.

"Jeremy! I don't understand! How could this have happened so quickly?" Jeremie hated to see her so upset, but he still didn't fully understand the reason.

"Aelita," he said in what he hoped was a soothing voice, "calm down. Please tell me what's going on." Aelita was not calm.

"I don't know!" she shrieked. "I can feel pulsations from every direction! The air doesn't feel right!" Jeremie was worried now.

"What do you mean, 'the air doesn't feel right'?"

"It just doesn't! It feels so wrong! It keeps moving! It feels so.... so.... so real, and strong"

Jeremie said, "Like a tornado?"

"No! Not like that at all! I've never felt anything like this before." Jeremie fought to stay calm- it was bad enough with Aelita acting the way she was.

"Alright," he said. "Don't do anything yet, I'm going to run a scan.

Odd couldn't see anymore. He could feel, but only one thing. It was a very powerful vacuum cleaner stuck inside his skull. He could feel it there, sucking harder and harder every second. Swallowing his brain. _'ah well,_' he thought, _'there was nothing left in there anyways.' _More laughing. How could he help himself? It was all just so funny. Another sneezing attack started. Sneezing and laughing. Funny, but the sneezes hurt like hell. This had to stop. It wasn't going to be funny for much longer.

In a last attempt to help himself, Odd reached out his hands in front of him, grabbing for anything and everything. He felt something, but before he could begin to decide what it might be, he felt a sharp slap on his cheek. He collapsed into the cold grass.

"What do you think your doing, you creep?! Don't you know who my- Odd?"

Sparks showered down from above. Ulrich watched as many of them landed in Yumi's hair. For about four seconds they just looked at each other, then instinct got the better of them. Without letting go of each other, they dove out from beneath the streetlamp. They watched helplessly from the ground as it wobbled dangerously. Yumi let out a small scream as it fell into her own driveway, crushing her mother's car. Ulrich covered Yumi's face as they were showered in glass, and more sparks.

"Mom! Dad!" Yumi screamed towards her dark house. The car was surrounded with flames now, and they were becoming alarmingly close to the telephone wires of Yumi's house.

"I have to go!" The girl ran towards her home, with Ulrich right behind her.

Yumi was surprised to find that the door was locked.

"Come on!" Ulrich yelled, grabbing Yumi's hand. Together they threw their weight against it. A loud CRACK came from the hinges. They slammed into the wood again, and the door groaned.

"One more," Ulrich said through clenched teeth. He gave the door a good kick, and it separated from the hinges completely, and fell inward.

The house was quiet.

"Mom! Dad?" No answer. Yumi looked at Ulrich with scared, wide eyes.

Ulrich didn't know what to say.

"Maybe we should just-," but Yumi was already running towards the back of the house, not bothering to switch on any lights.

After ten minutes of searching and yelling, there was a very loud POP. The air felt extremely hot. Smoke was pouring out from the kitchen ceiling. They could hear snapping wood, and the ceiling began to sag down towards the floor.

"Get out of the house Yumi! Come on!" Ulrich yelled, grabbing her hand. They went through the opening where the front door had once been, and found that fire hade taken almost the entire roof.

"They weren't inside," Yumi said this just as much to herself as Ulrich.

"No." He put his hand on her shoulder.

They both heard the sirens in the distance. Then the entire roof of Yumi's house collapsed.

"No."

"What's wrong?"

"A mistake. I need to rerun the scan."

Jeremie typed frantically on the supercalculator's keyboard. His face was barely an inch from the screen. The results did not change.

"Impossible!"

"Jeremie!" Aelita was impatient. "Tell me what's going on."

Jermie shook his head in disbelief.

"According to this scan, XANA has activated five –no, wait, there's one more- six towers!"

"Not possible," Aelita yelled, wishing she could believe it. Wanting to believe it was impossible, and pretend nothing was happening. Unfortunately, as the ground of Lyoko lurched and began to shake incredibly hard, she knew that something _was_ happening. Something they hadn't experienced before.

Sissy stared down at Odd, who wasn't moving. She shook his shoulder slightly.

"Odd? What's wrong with you?"

For a long time they didn't move, then Odd's hand gripped her wrist. She held back a scream. Odd stood up quickly, and started singing.

_"I'm all lost in the super-market._

_I can no longer shop happily_

_I came in here for that special offer._

_A guaranteed perso-_ GIVE ME YOUR CELLPHONE!"

Sissy stumbled backward.

"W-w-what?"

Odd ignored her, and pulled his own phone out of his pocket. He pushed a single speed dial number.

"Hello?"

"Yumi!"

"Odd? This is Jeremie, and we've got a really big-"

"Shut-up, Yumi! Ulrich thinks you're hot. And you know what else? Sissy is here. We're in the woods. You should bring Ulrich, he'd be really-"

"Odd! What is wrong with you? I'm trying to tell you that we have a serious problem! Come to the factory now!"

"Oh yeah? I bet we have a more serious problem in the woods. I lost my cell phone!"

"Jeremie please tell me there's an explanation."

"I can't! Odd won't let me think! SHUT-UP, ODD!" Jeremie hung up on Odd, who was singing something in Spanish.

"Alright Aelita. Stay hidden. I'm going to call Yumi and Ulrich, because Odd has gone insane." He dialed Ulrich's number.

"Jeremie?" Ulrich's voice brought a great feeling of relief.

"Thank God I'm not Yumi."

"What?"

"Never mind. Is she with you?"

"Yeah, she's talking to some firemen."

"Okay, I'll ask you about that later. Right now, something horrible has happened. Odd won't come, so you guys had better hurry up!"

"On our way."

"So you don't know where they are?" The fireman took off his hat, and laid it on the hood of the truck.

"No. They weren't home," Yumi was trying to act calm and grown up. She could see Ulrich talking on his cell phone a short ways off.

"Well kid, for now we'll just take you down to the station and try to contact your parents."

Yumi opened her mouth, wanting to protest. She wanted to stay with Ulrich. She didn't get the chance to say anything, though, because Ulrich came running up.

"That was Jeremie. Something happened. Aelita...We have to go."

Yumi turned to the fireman who had a 'what is this bull shit?' look on his face.

"Ummm. I have to go."

She grabbed Ulrich's hand, and they ran down the street with five angry firemen chasing after them.

(END OF CHAPTER)

Was that better? Or worse... It's done! Ch. Three is ummmm

How About We Move You Yeah, that's it. It's going to be ummmmm. Whatever, I'm so sleepy. .


	3. How About We Move You

Ello little gorgie peoples! Uhhhhhhhh, I mean chapter three is here!!!!

OK. I know last chapter was way wack. The page breaks I put in always disappear once I get to the editing page, so now I'm going to try using little 9s. And if these 9s don't show up, I'm going to 9999 those 9999999 who wrote this 9999999 program. (No, not really)

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.

Ch.3 How About We Move You 

"Okay, Odd. I'm going to just, just go now. Okay? I'm leaving because ummmm." And Sissy turned and started to run, but found herself in Odd's grip within seconds.

"No! Don't go! Stay here, in the woods. You like the woods, don't you Emily?" Odd was smiling. Not a normal smile, but in a way that made him look like a deranged lunatic.

"Let go of me! Let go!" Sissy kicked Odd as hard as she could on his right kneecap. There was a nasty snapping noise, and Odd crumpled to the ground.

"Don't go! Wait for me!" But Sissy was already gone, running faster than she ever had in her life. Odd was left alone. He attempted to stand up, but his knee refused to support him He started to laugh a little, but then his mood changed, and Odd burst into tears.

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SMACK. Aelita's head hit the rock in a way that would have cracked any human's skull. Luckily, she was not on Earth, and was able to get up again.

"What happened? Are you alright?" Jeremie couldn't see the sprite anymore.

"Yes. Fine. These aren't just pulsations anymore, Jeremie. I can barely stand up."

Jeremie had never wished more that he could be there with her. He wanted to hold her, and tell her everything would be okay. Not that he was sure of that at all.

"Ulrich and Yumi should be here soon. There aren't any monsters showing up on the supercalculator, so you're safe. But don't start heading towards any of the towers until they get here."

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The chase was not going well. A crowd of people had gathered down by Yumi's house, and most seemed quite interested by the sight of two teens and five firemen (fully geared) sprinting down the street.

"Keep it up, Yumi." Ulrich attempted to smile at her, but it didn't come out right. The problem was, though Yumi was in relatively good shape, with long legs, she wasn't nearly as physically active as him. And neither of them could run as fast as the firemen.

"Listen, kid. Just give it up, and there will be less trouble for all of us."

"No!" Yumi's voice was raspy from running so hard. They never gave up, but it didn't matter. The biggest of the firemen came up right behind Yumi. Without saying anything, he picked her up and flipped her onto his shoulder like a sack of flour.

"Put me down! You don't understand! There's something important at stake! Put me down!" She struggled as hard as she could, but the fireman just tightened his grip around her legs.

Fury bubbled up inside Ulrich. How dare that man put his hands on Yumi? Ulrich was ready to punch, kick, and do anything to get him away from her.

"LET HER GO!" Ulrich crammed as much hatred into his voice as possible. The man heard and ignored him, which made Ulrich even angrier. "Don't touch her."

Yumi had given up the fight.

"No. Just go, Ulrich. Help Aelita. I'll come when I can." Ulrich really didn't want to leave her, but what choice did he have? He nodded, and bolted down the street.

Yumi's heart sank deep into her chest as she admitted defeat, and allowed herself to be carried back to her ruined house. The worst part was still to come. As they approached the crowd of people surrounding Yumi's house, everyone started clapping. She couldn't believe it. It was unbelievable, that's why. They were applauding the fireman as if he had brought back some kind of prize. Yumi felt her face heating up. She was so mad. She wanted nothing more than to kick the fireman. There was no way he was going to keep her away from Lyoko now; she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Yuma waited patiently for all the other men to get into the bright red truck. Then, just as the man carrying her was ducking down, she elbowed him in the back of the neck as hard as she could. He dropped her, kneeling down in pain. Yumi ran. She couldn't catch up with Ulrich, but she knew one thing: two were going to Lyoko tonight.

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Sissy didn't waste any time. She couldn't remember ever being so freaked out. On the way to her father's office, she text messaged Theo so he wouldn't think she had blown him off.

_Something came up. Sorry. Tellya l8er._

When she reached the office door, she didn't bother knocking, she just ran right in. Her father looked up from his stack of papers with a surprised look on his face.

"Daddy! There's something wrong with Odd! Wronger than usual! I was out in the park and he just grabbed out at me! Then he asked for my cell phone and called Yumi on his, and he was singing. In Spanish too! And I think I really hurt him cause he wasn't moving after he wouldn't let go and I kicked him-"

"Sissy, please slow down. Did you say you were out in the park? After dark? Why?" Sissy blushed deeply.

"I- I was- I was just, um, looking for Odd! He, um, wasn't at dinner, so I went to see if he was still outside, and he was. Out there. You know, in the dark. In the woods. Yeah."

"I see." Her father said skeptically. "And you say he's hurt?"

"Yes, I'll show you!"

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"Transfer Ulrich. Scanner Ulrich. Virtualization."

It hadn't taken Ulrich long to get to the factory, but he felt horrible about leaving Yumi all alone. It was the right thing to do, though.

"Okay, Jeremie, I'm here. Now say the thing about the towers again, you were talking so fast..."

Aelita stepped out from behind a rock. "Thank goodness you're here! It appears that XANA has managed to activate multiple towers. How he has done this, we do not know. Jeremie and I were beginning to think he might have been holding back all along. Perhaps this is a power he has always possessed. After all, we did just perfect the anti-virus-"

"What?!"

"Yes, I'll be on Earth soon."

"But if we've already got it, why don't we materialize you now, and shut XANA off?"

Jeremie's voice sounded for the first time since Ulrich's transfer. "There are a few reasons. The first is that I have no idea how an activated tower –in this case, six activated towers- will affect her materialization. Also, if we were to shut XANA off now, the damage from his attacks will not be repaired by the return trip to the past. And last, I must admit I'm very clueless. It's almost as if XANA is trying to get us to shut him off. Since all of his attacks have not yet become clear, we don't know what kinds of traps he might have set."

Ulrich wasn't convinced. "Then this could be a trap too! These towers, everything. We risk it either way."

"Exactly," came Jeremies grim reply. "And do you think it better to risk it on Lyoko, or on Earth, Ulrich?"

"Yeah, you're right-"

"Just keep Aelita safe."

"Of course. Come on Princess, let's go to the, ummm, wait. Which tower do we go to, Jeremie?"

"I'd say the one twenty degrees North of you, but you have more serious problems. It's four crabs, they should be coming up on your right."

"No problem. Okay, Princess, how about we move you over here?" He didn't wait for her to reply, he just pushed her back between a couple of rocks, and stepped forward.

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The firemen were at a disadvantage this time. They were all inside a fire-truck. (Exception guy Yumi has elbowed in the neck, he's on the ground) Though it would have been interesting, the fire-truck did not come chasing after Yumi. Two men got out as if to go after her, but she was already running through someone's backyard. The audience just watched, in a silent sort of way.

It took Yumi a while to reach the factory, because she was moving through yard after yard, each time having to hop over some kind of fence. Eventually, she decided it was safe out in the open, and she returned to the street. It took her about five more minutes to reach the park.

As she was walking through the trees, Yumi thought she could here ragged breathing,

"Hello?" No answer. Perhaps she was wrong. She quickly went down into the underground passage, and skate boarded as fast as she could. Just as she was crossing the bridge, her phone rang.

"Jeremie?"

"No Yumi!"

"Mom?"

"Yes it's me, and I just had a very interesting conversation with a fireman."

Yumi didn't say anything. She didn't even breathe.

"He told me what happened. That you had something 'more important' to do than find out what had happened to your father and me."

Oh God. Yumi couldn't listen to this. Her mom thought she had just run off with some boy. No doubt that was how the fireman put it. Quite suddenly, Yumi's mother started yelling.

"We were in a car accident Yumi! We were in a car accident, your dad is in the hospital, and you don't care enough to even try to find out!? You have more important things to do, do you!? "

"No." Yumi whispered.

"No!? No? What is wrong with you? Have you been-"

Yumi dropped the phone. It broke into at least four pieces, but Yumi didn't care. She couldn't listen, she could only run.

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Twice, Odd thought he heard footsteps, but he could never be sure. The second time he had almost managed to call out, but then he was alone again. Never had he felt so lonely. He couldn't understand why he was alone. He no longer remembered where he was, or his reason for being there. Or a reason for being at all.

Then he heard noises. People talking. A light was shined in his face, and someone said, "See! I told you he was here! You see his knee? He can't walk on it."

"Alright, go up to bed, we'll take it from here." Odd could feel strong arms around him. He was aware of being lifted up, and then he fell asleep.

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Ulrich was doing well. Three of the crabs were dead. Aelita was unharmed, and Ulrich had yet to lose any life points.

"Just keep it up, Ulrich. You're doing great. We'll get through this mess one tower at a time." Jeremie was attempting at being reassuring, and it was almost working.

"Ha!" Ulrich yelled as he killed the fourth crab. There was only one left, but it had proved to be especially smart in battle.

"Good news!" Jeremie yelled. "Yumi's on her way." Ulrich could hear the sound of Jeremie virtualizing Yumi, and the crab had stopped, as if it was listening too.

"She shouldn't be too far southwest of you."

At those words, the crab abandoned Aelita and Ulrich, and took of running in the exact direction Jeremie had said.

"No way!" Ulrich yelled as he took off after it.

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The first thing Yumi noticed was that she was tired. Normally, after the transfer her stamina was revived, but she felt just as tired, if not more than before. She leaned over to try and catch her breath, and her hair fell into her face. Her hair fell into her face. HER HAIR FELL INTO HER F-

"OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!!!!"


	4. That's What Blood Look's Like?

Hey! We get soooooo much homework in math class! It's really getting to my head. Any minute now I'll just start typing numbers instead of letters. 1839478598X see! I'm doing it now! Gurg. Ahhh, yes, well. Oh, and I forgot to tell you what chapter four would be called. You'll find out soon enough, because it's right here! Dunnnn Dunn Dunnnnnn!!!

Ch. 4 

**That's What Blood Looks Like?**

Sam didn't think it was fair. None of it was her fault. She wished Odd would pick up the phone. To depress herself more, Sam imagined him kissing another girl. The horror. How could he not be there for her when she needed him the most?

"Samantha? Are you still here? I thought I could trust you, but I guess I was wrong. Come back into my office. I'll call for someone to pick you up." The principal of what had been Sam's school was walking towards her. She wished she could kill him. He couldn't understand anything.

Keeping her face carefully clear of any emotions, Sam followed him back into the school. She wished the roof would cave in, or maybe the fire alarm would go off, anything to distract him. But Sam had no such luck.

She was forced to sit in a stiff chair as the man picked up a phone.

"I'm going to call your parents. You could have made this much easier, but now we'll just have to deal with it together."

Sam spoke for the first time. "You mean my brother. I don't live with my parents anymore."

"Right. You're brother then." He had Sam's emergency card in his hand. He dialed the number. Sam was nervous, but she didn't show it. She tried to hear the voice on the other line, but couldn't. The principal was saying, "Ah, yes. You are Samantha's brother? You may have noticed we've been having some problems recently. Yes. Oh, okay. Yes. Well, I'm afraid she is no longer welcome here. Yes, that's what I mean. Expelled, yes. No? You think that's okay? Originally that's what I was going to have her do, but she wasn't cooperating. Alright. I'll tell her. Thank you. Goodbye." He hung up, and turned back to Sam. "You're brother says he has to go to work, and can't pick you up right now." Despite her terrible mood and growing fear, Sam nearly laughed out loud. Her brother had never had a job. The principal wasn't finished, "And you need to walk home, but actually do it this time."

Sam stood up. This was not your every day opportunity, and she had to take advantage of it. She hated this man, and was never going to speak to him again. Best to leave an impression. "You bastard. You think you can just fuck up my life this way? I'll fuck up your face, and really give you something to bitch about. People like you will never understand." She left the room quickly and ran from the building. At least the look on his face had brightened her mood.

It wasn't a long walk home, and her backpack was empty. What would she need her books for? She reached her house within twenty minutes. It was a depressing sight. In just six weeks, the garden had over grown, the porch had become cluttered, and the pane of glass in the front door had shattered, and replaced with a wooden board. It looked vacant, but the loud music played at night would suggest otherwise.

When she tried to open the door, she found herself locked out of her own house. She banged on it as hard as she could. "Let me in! Damnit, Harvey, let me in!" She screamed.

"Sorry, Sweetie, there's nobody home." She heard her brother's voice from somewhere inside. _'Stupid stoner.'_ She thought angrily, and tried to go around back. The back door was locked too. Figuring she would have to wait it out, Sam made herself comfortable on the front steps.

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Yumi couldn't breath. Did she have to? Yes, she did. Opening her mouth, she gulped at the air. Ahhh, there it was. Yumi felt so dizzy. Her mind couldn't hold these thoughts. She looked down at her clothes, and saw the pale stretch of her exposed stomach, beneath her black shirt. She felt exposed. All over. She was on Lyoko, without a weapon. Without anything but herself. She was utterly useless.

Yumi heard something coming. It was a crab, running towards her. It fired, but she dropped to the ground and avoided being hit. Before she had time to look up, she felt an incredible pain in her right hand. There was something like pain on Lyoko, but it wasn't really. It was more like a vibration, a feeling of ruptured codes. It wasn't like this. Thin was sharp. A dagger. A blade must have gone right through her hand. Yumi dared to look. It wasn't a dagger. It was the sharp tip of the crab's leg. It had caught the skin between her thumb and index finger, nailing her hand to the ground. The monster raised another leg, preparing to strike.

"Impact!" The crab exploded, courtesy Ulrich. He took one look at his girlfriend, and dropped to his knees in complete confusion. "Yumi?" he croaked, not wanting to believe what he saw. She lay on the ground, wearing a black belly shirt, and black jeans. Her skin looked pale and mottled. Unarmed, she was completely helpless. A dark, almost black liquid pumped steadily out of her right hand.

"Blood." Yumi whispered. "Ulrich.........I'm bleeding." She held her hand up, and the blood ran down her sleeve.

"That's what blood looks like?" Aelita's voice was soft. She had walked up behind Ulrich, and wore a look of amazed horror on her face.

"Aelita, hold still." Ulrich said firmly. Aelita obeyed. Carefully, he used his sword to cut one of the sashes from her leg. He gently took hold of Yumi's hand, and tied it tightly around like a bandage, in hopes of stopping the bleeding. Then he stood up, and said, "Okay Jeremie, tell us what's going on."

Jeremie sounded none too calm. "Her card is gone!"

Yumi didn't say anything. "And what does that mean?" Ulrich fought to keep his voice calm.

"It means she wasn't transferred."

"But she's right here!"

"She was scanned, but not transferred."

"Is that possible?"

"Apparently. To create the cards, I had to transfer your DNA into codes, and modify them to meet our advantage. But her card is gone. She hasn't got codes or life points, she has DNA and a life."

"How can that be? How can she have DNA on Lyoko? And do you mean you had to do the same thing to us as Aelita?"

"It's a lot simpler to combine DNA into codes, than split codes into DNA. But yes, it's the same idea. And actually, since we never tried doing a strait scan to Lyoko I never knew if it was possible. The reason we had the transfers was to prevent this from happening. It would have been stupid to walk blindly into an unknown world. But it's too late now."

"What can we do?"

"Protect them both until the tower is deactivated. Be careful."

Ulrich raised his eyebrows at Yumi and Aelita. "So I guess it's double the princess and one third the warrior today."

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I know that was short, and I'm sorry. But I'm soooo sleepy. I'll try to update soon. Please give your opinions, I love to hear them. Thanks to all reviewers! ;D


	5. Maybe I'll Never Hear It

OMG! Somebody shoot me! I can't believe I forgot again! I won't forget this time! At the end of this chapter, I will tell you what chapter six will be called. (As you probably know by now, this is chapter five)

Flying Star: Looks like you must be psychic! But can you predict the end? No, I don't think so; it's a long way away. My situation seems a bit similar to theirs right now; I have to sort through this mess one tower at a time...

IndustrialFear: lol. An apostrophe?! Heaven forbid! Glad it made you grin.

MizZ hypocrite 101: Thanks. ASAP is here.

Ch. 5 Maybe I'll Never Hear It 

Sam was freezing cold. There were only so many hours you could sit outside at night. She wasn't even wearing a sweatshirt! Luckily, it was approaching midnight, which meant they would be coming soon. Once they started arriving, she would slip inside. Of course, then she would wish she were back outside. Maybe the noise didn't matter anymore.

'_Maybe they're not coming,' _Sam thought. She would have to spend the night outside, but that was a small price to pay. Could this have been a time-of-the-year thing? '_Maybe I'll never hear it again.'_ As if to prove her wrong, a beat-up car pulled up in front of her house. This would be the beginning.

About eight teenagers got out. A few had been in the trunk. They all began to climb the steps. A guy she vaguely recognized came up to Sam, and ruffled her hair.

"Hey Sammy. You want a beer, Baby?" He took a dark bottle from within one of his enormous coat pockets, and held it out towards her. Sam glared moodily, and took it.

A lady had rapped on the front door. About thirty-four seconds later, a nineteen-year-old boy with dark hair opened it. "Do come in. How many are we expecting tonight?"

Sam dove for the open doorway, but felt something catch her chest. She glared into her brother's eyes.

"Let go!"

"Sorry, Hon. Only people I know are allowed at this party." He pushed her back outside. Sam shivered as her brother held the door open for the other eight people. More cars were arriving now. The guy who had given Sam the beer looked a bit sorry for her, and handed her his coat when Harvey wasn't looking. Sam just had time to mouth 'thank you' before the door slammed.

Feeling depressed, but a lot warmer, Sam watched as strangers filed into her house. Then the music started. Why couldn't someone just call the cops? The base made the porch rattle, and Sam thought her eardrums would rupture. Not having a bottle opener, Sam smashed the neck of the bottle on the top step. Beer splashed onto her hands. She began to drink, hoping to settle her stomach. She tore her lips up pretty bad on the broken glass, but couldn't bring herself to care.

"What a life." Sam said to herself. She could feel bulges in the pockets of the coat she was wearing, but thought it best not to look. She leaned against the wall. "What a fucked up life."

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A swarm of hornets had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Yumi had not yet recovered from shock, and was panting heavily. Both her and Aelita were squished back between the rocks while Ulrich attempted to battle the monstrous insects. The problem was that the hornets could fly, and Ulrich did not have a weapon that enabled him to hit an air-born target. It seemed impossible. All he could really do was block the lasers the hornets fired at him and the girls.

"Okay. Time for a new plan." Ulrich said.

"What?" Aelita asked hopelessly.

"We'll make a run for it."

"To risky!" Jeremie joined the conversation. "There's two of them and only one of you, Ulrich."

"Triplicate!" Ulrich screamed. Two clones were at his side immediately. "Aelita, do you see those rocks over there?" Aelita nodded. "That's where we're going. It'll be a safer path to the tower from there. Right, Jeremie?"

"Correct."

"Good." Ulrich said. "I'm going to take Aelita first, because she can create a stronger barrier if necessary. You stay with Yumi." He ordered one of the clones. It nodded obediently, and placed itself directly in front of the opening to the crevasse Yumi was hiding in. "Okay Aelita. Let's go." With the second clone blocking shots for them, they made a run for it. Two of the monsters broke away and followed them, while the other three continued to fire at Yumi.

"Will she be okay?" Aelita yelled.

"Not if we don't hurry. My little friend back there has only got ten lifepoints."

The two hornets began to shoot sizzling green acid down at them, and the clone got caught in the stream. He was deleted instantly.

They could hear Jeremie saying, "Oh God, Oh God, Oh God," which wasn't very reassuring.

A drop of acid about the size of a lime landed directly on her hand. The codes flickered, but held.

"Aelita just lost ten." Jeremie informed them.

Ulrich could see more acid beginning to rain down on them. They weren't far now. He shoved Aelita as hard as he could, sending her flying behind the rocks. She immediately created a barrier for herself. Ulrich turned around to go back for Yumi, knowing the clone couldn't hold out forever. Sure enough, it was hit right between the eyes, and then it was gone. Ulrich wasn't close enough yet. He could only watch as a hornet approached, and fired directly into the crevasse. He heard a squeal of pain.

"Yumi!" He screamed and threw himself at the hornet. But it just flew higher, leaving him to fall to the ground. He didn't, though. He landed on his feet, and ran to Yumi's side. He could se where the bug had hit her. It wasn't bleeding like her hand, but it hand singed a hole in the shoulder of her shirt. "Are you okay?" he was so worried. Worried about everything and everyone. Yumi didn't say anything. She didn't move; her entire weight was on the rock behind her. Ulrich was paralyzed with fear. Oh God. Ulrich's mind was racing. Please no. Don't do this to me, you can't-

Yumi very slowly nodded her head. And he wanted to throw himself on her. To squeeze her and kiss her, but there wasn't any time.

"Come on." He grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the open. "Jeremie, is Aelita okay?"

"Yes actually, she's great. All the hornets are on you guys now."

At first, Ulrich thought he was being sarcastic, but he was right. All five monsters had gathered around Yumi and Ulrich in a circle. It was if they were exchanging signals. At the exact same time, they all began to spew acid, not directly on Yumi and Ulrich, but around them. They were trapped.

Yumi looked at Ulrich with wide eyes. She had, for the second time that day, given up. It was all up to him now. Ulrich wondered if this was what Jeremie always felt like. "Jeremie, can Aelita help?"

"No. She's already worked herself down on that barrier. If she tried anymore, she'd run out of energy. It takes fifty lifepoints each time, remember?"

Okay, then. That left Ulrich with one completely insane idea.

"Sorry, Yumi. Here's what we need to do." He grabbed her wrists and pulled her arms down over is shoulders. Then he linked his arms around her thighs, hoisting her onto his back. "Hold on. One...Two.... Three!"

Yumi didn't say anything, but she held on. Not just with her arms, but with her legs, and she even hooked her chin on his shoulder. Ulrich took off running like a racing horse, but with only two legs, and a lot less hair. He ran right through the acid. Yumi could feel tiny drops splashing and burning her legs, but not enough to do any real damage. Ulrich, on the other hand, could feel it pulling at his legs, trying to rip the virtual particles apart. It wasn't exactly painful, but certainly unpleasant.

"Ulrich, you're losing them fast. Down to eighty... seventy... sixty... fifty.... forty.... thirty.... and you're good!"

Ulrich didn't put Yumi down, and he didn't stop running. Though they were now acid-free, the hornets were still behind them firing occasionally. Finally, they reached the rocks.

"Back here!" Aelita's face appeared from behind a large rock. Ulrich hurried behind it with Yumi. Aelita had managed to create a sort of cave, complete with a small, well-hidden back exit.

"Well done, Aelita." Ulrich complimented.

"Thanks. Is she okay?"

Ulrich set Yumi down gently, but her legs didn't support her at all. She lay up against a rock wall with her eyes shut, and her teeth clenched tight. Ulrich plopped down next to her, and touched her hair. She didn't respond.

"You're going to be okay," he whispered. She said nothing. He took her hand and squeezed it hopefully (not the one with a hole in it- the other one). Yumi leaned her head on his shoulder, but did not open her eyes.

Not knowing what to do or say, Aelita sat down across from them, and kept quiet.

"You guys need to keep moving. The hornets are looking for you." Jeremie said softly.

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Sam had actually managed to get in. Once things had really started to get wild, people just opened the door and walked in. The door was unlocked, and no one was guarding the entrance. She had followed some kids inside, trying to ignore the deafening music.

Seeing no sign of Harvey, Sam decided to take her chances in the kitchen. The house was so crowded, and everyone was either drunk or stoned or both, so no one took notice of her. She hadn't eaten all day. She didn't really think there would be any food around, but it was worth a try. She shoved her way up to the fridge and opened it. She had a slight headache, and the cold air felt good. There was nothing in there but alcohol, though. Sam just left her head in there for a minute. It almost muted out the sound. Would drinking another beer make her less hungry? Sam didn't know. She was spared the task of deciding, because she felt someone tap her shoulder.

"Thought I told you you weren't welcome at this party." His eyes were unfocused, and his hair messed up. Sam hated her brother. She couldn't think of anything she hated more. She grabbed another beer, and shut the fridge.

"Samantha." He cupped her chin in his hand. She pulled away.

"Leave me alone."

"Heard you were expelled."

"Shut the hell up."

He took a step towards her. Sam tightened her grip on the neck of the bottle. "Don't." She said.

"You will do what I say." He moved at her quickly. Sam raised the bottle, but he had it from her in a second. In one smooth motion he smashed the bottom on the counter and threw the bottle at her.

Broken glass and amber liquid flew everywhere. The biggest piece of glass flew right at Sam's face. She had just enough time to move her head three inches to the left, but it grazed the right side of her face anyway, cutting a long gash across her cheekbone. The bottle continued to fly across the room, smashing into the stereo. Then there was silence. Not the peaceful kind, but the ringing, harsh kind. Everyone was staring at them. Sam could feel eyes on her from all sides, as well as a slight stinging on her cheek.

For a long time, everyone just stood there. Then a few people started fiddling around with the stereo, trying to get it to work again. Slowly, Sam started to walk away. Harvey made no move to follow her, so she sped up. On her way out, she passed the guy who had given her his coat. She took it off and handed it to him.

"Thanks."

He stared at her open mouthed, just like everyone else was doing. Then the music came back on, and she ran from the room.

Sam headed up the stairs to her bedroom. She shoved the door open, and was about to collapse onto her bed, when she realized there were already at least four people in there doing who-knows-what. (I know what)

Angrily, she left her own room, slamming the door. There was one place she could go. Sam headed towards the room at the end of the hall. The door was nailed shut, but Sam kicked it open. Her parent's room. It was empty of people, but it had a bed. Sam eagerly climbed under the dusty covers and fell asleep.

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That took me FOREVER! It's 12:30! Oh well, I don't have school tomorrow; I can sleep as late as I want.

Next chapter: C'mon, I'll Take You Out


	6. C'mon, I'll Take You Out

Oh boy! Tis time to pretend I don't have homework! I'm listening to music, and I heard somewhere that if you write while listening to music what you write might reflect what you're listening to. If this story screams The Ramones, I apologize in advance. HeeHee _Yumi is a punk rocker! Yumi is a punk rocker! Yumi is a punk rocker now! _Okay, I'm stopping now.

Animesk8tergirl: No he isn't high off crack. He is being…manipulated.

Industrial Fear:  I was joking, I won't hurt you.

Flying Star: JeritaAelita in Jeremie's body. WOOHOO Lottery!!!!

MizZ hypocrite: Well, as you may have guessed, the entire point of this story is to torture Yumi. Well, maybe not the entire point, but its one of them.

One last note: When towers start to get deactivated, Sam's story doesn't change. In other words, what is happening to her is not happening at the same time as what is happening to our Lyoko friends. Otherwise, I would have to write it six times. So it plays out the same way after every "Return to the Past" and Sam doesn't remember. In other words, just pretend Sam's story isn't being constantly interrupted by trips into the past. (She doesn't know it is) Thought that might get confusing.

Ch. 6 C'mon, I'll Take You Out 

Ulrich was running, but suddenly he turned around and started yelling, "HEY HO, LET'S GO!"

"Blitzkrieg Bop!" Yumi screamed.

Jeremie was saying "Gabba Gabba Hey."

Aelita looked strangely confused, and turned to stare at me like I was some punk rock broccoli. Then a look of understanding crossed her face, and she said, "I wanna be sedated!"

Okay. This has gone too far. What you listen to DOES affect your writing! I need to start over.

Ch. 6 C'mon, I'll Take You Out 

"Focus Yumi. You can do this." Ulrich was being strangely business-like in an attempt to make the situation feel less panicked.

Yumi looked awful. Her skin seemed almost transparent; the blue tints of her veins were completely visible. Though the bleeding from her hand had slowed, it hadn't stopped. It seemed a great effort for her to speak. "It's not the same. It's not the same as it was before. God, I'm so tired."

"I know. I know it's not the same. Focus on breathing. You can always force your muscles to keep going, but not your lungs. You have to try and breath normally." The idea of having to breath on Lyoko at all was strange to Ulrich. He did it as a reflex, but he never felt any sort of need for air.

Yumi, Ulrich, and Aelita had left from the small opening in the back of the cave. Because it was basically impossible for them to fight the hornets, they were sneaking slowly towards the tower by weaving in and out of rocks. (They are in the Mountain Region, in case you were wondering) According to Jeremie, the hornets had all split up to search for them in different directions. Like a giant game of death hide-and-seek.

"Careful." They heard Jeremie say, "There's one that's getting dangerously close to you. Head behind that rock on your left, quick!"

Ulrich grabbed one sleeve of each girl in each of his hands, and pulled them behind the rock. Yumi immediately buried her face into her knees as she curled up in a ball-like position. Aelita was just staring at her, like she was a particularly realistic horror movie, but Yumi didn't notice. Ulrich was thinking about all the possible solutions to their problem. But there didn't seem to be any. Yumi couldn't keep up, and neither her nor Aelita could defend themselves in any way. Should he try to carry her again? He couldn't just leave her there.

"It's gone." Aelita said. Ulrich hadn't noticed her walk away. Yumi looked up at Ulrich. "I'll try." She whispered. Feeling a huge amount of love for her, he helped her up and wrapped his arms around her waist. Holding her tightly, he whispered, "Okay. Let's go."

Jeremie's voice rang out suddenly, "You're getting close. There's just one rock between you and the tower. Can you see it? Head there."

"Yes." Aelita said, turning to Ulrich for instruction.

"Alright. I don't see any hornets out there, so let's all go together." He kept his voice firm.

Ulrich grabbed each of their hands, and they started to move towards the last rock.

"Where are the hornets?" Aelita asked.

"They're waiting for you around the tower." Jeremie informed them as they reached the rock.

"Then you had better stay here, Yumi." Ulrich said, peering around the edge of the rock to see the tower and the monsters. Yumi nodded and sat down on the ground again.

"Aelita, we're going on three."

"Four." Aelita said.

Ulrich looked at her a little strange. "Um, okay four. One, two, three, four. Let's go!" He pulled her along behind him. He felt awful leaving Yumi, but she would be safer that way.

The wasps were poised in a perfect line formation, completely still. Aelita and Ulrich exchanged a nervous glance as they approached the row of monstrous soldiers. Each wasp hung about six feet above the ground, with its stinger pointed strait ahead. It didn't make sense to Ulrich, the way they were perfectly still in mid-air. Their wings stuck out stiffly.

"What's wrong with them?" Aelita whispered.

"I don't know." Ulrich said. "Jeremie, do they look strange from up there?"

"No, they look normal." Jeremie said. "Be careful for Aelita."

"Should we just try and cross?" Aelita asked.

"I guess so." Ulrich answered.

Together, they stepped underneath the wasps, crossing the line. The tower was just ahead. Aelita and Ulrich looked back at the wasps nervously. For a second they didn't change. Then, all at the same time, they jerked violently.

Aelita screamed. The wasps didn't even glance at them. Their great wings began to hum as they shot off in the direction Aelita and Ulrich had just come from.

"Yumi! Aelita go! Deactivate the tower NOW!" Ulrich screamed. Aelita ran towards the tower, as Ulrich ran towards Yumi. He had never run so fast. As soon as he was halfway there two wasps turned and flew right at him. Ready to defend himself, Ulrich gripped the hilt of his weapon. But they flew right over him towards Aelita.

She had almost reached the tower, but they cut her off with a stream of acid, and began to shoot.

"Aelita is down to ten!" Jeremie screamed.

Ulrich turned just in time to see Aelita dive into the tower. He continued to run towards Yumi. It looked as if one of the wasps had found her; it was bobbing up and down, gaining the attention of the rest of them. Ulrich was almost there. He reached the rock and skidded around it, landing on top of Yumi.

"Don't move!" He screamed. At first he tried to block the shots of the several insects, but there were too many, so he simply lay on top of her, to shield her. He was hit once. Yumi closed her eyes tight. Two more times. She held her breath. She felt him jerk as the fourth blast made contact with his head. One more got his leg, and Yumi was all alone.

Terrified, she turned to face them. She was going to die. This was the end. She

Would die helpless and alone. They all fired at once.

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Sam awoke in a quiet, dusty room. The sunlight leeched around the thick curtains filling the room with dull, grey sunlight. She panicked at first, having no idea where she was. Then she began to recognize things. The photographs on the nightstand looked familiar. Then she remembered everything.

Sam heard her stomach growl. She couldn't remember ever being so hungry. She had consumed nothing but beer the day before. Sam groaned, and tried to remember if she had drunk any water. No, she didn't think so. Maybe that was why she was so dizzy.

Using the bed to steady herself, Sam stood up. She felt sick as she began to make her way to the door. On her way down the hall, she glanced into her bedroom. It was deserted. Sam wondered how late it was.

Sam went down the stairs and into the kitchen, watching for people all the way. There was no one there. Sam was surprised when she found from the clock on the microwave that it was 2:49. No wonder they had all cleared out. It was time for school, Sam thought suddenly, and then relaxed when she remembered she was expelled.

Sam searched every cupboard, but found nothing edible. The fridge had been mostly cleared out. Those kids sure could drink. In a last hope, Sam opened the freezer. A pint of ice cream! And it was almost full! Grabbing a spoon, she hopped onto the counter. The ice cream was bourbon flavored, but she could care less about the taste. It was good anyway. Sam got a bit of a shock when she pulled the spoon out of her mouth. It had turned the color of rust.

"Damnit! She cursed and ran into the bathroom. Wiping dust off of the mirror, Sam took a good look at her face. She gasped, touching her mouth. Dried blood had crusted over her lips completely, if she even had lips anymore. Maybe they had been torn completely off…Sam ran her fingers gently over her cheekbone, and winced in pain. It was swollen, and slightly purple. None of it had seemed so bad the night before. Sam returned to her ice cream, which was starting to get soft.

She had only gotten a few more spoonfuls before she heard someone walk into the room. Harvey looked at her for a second, then turned and left. Sam shrugged, and continued to eat.

Less than a minute later, he returned with a bottle of something in his hand, and a bag of cotton bolls. Sam was amazed that he had managed to find cotton bolls. He set the bottle down next to her, and she saw that it was rubbing alcohol. He wet the cotton bolls with the alcohol over the sink, and grabbed Sam's chin.

"Don't touch me."

"Hold still." Gently, he wiped her cuts down, using cotton boll after cotton boll to clear the blood away.

"Please just leave me alone." Sam said.

Finished, he let go of her, and snatched the ice cream from her hands.

"Hey!" Sam said angrily.

"You shouldn't be eating this." Her brother said.

"There's nothing else! Give that back!"

He shook his head, and dropped the entire container into the trash. "C'mon I'll take you out for breakfast."

"It's three o'clock!" Sam felt like arguing.

"So? You haven't eaten and I haven't eaten. Go get ready." He lifted her down from the counter.

Sam headed for the stairs. This could happen sometimes. Usually on the weekends. Harvey would act normal, because he wasn't drunk or stoned. Sam wished it could always be like that, but it never would. These huge raves seemed to be the only thing that drove the thought of their parents out of Harvey's mind.

Sam showered, dressed, and tried to brush her hair. Pulling on her sweatshirt, she jumped back down the stairs. Harvey was still in the kitchen. For the first time, Sam noticed he looked as if he had showered too, and dressed well.

He pulled the car keys out of his pocket, said, "let's go," and headed for the door. Sam followed. As she opened the car door, she realized she hadn't ridden in this –or any- car since her parents had died. That was almost two months ago. They drove in silence for a while, Sam leaning her head on the window. Then Harvey said, "So. I guess we need to find you a new school."

"I don't need to go to school."

"Yes, you do. In fact, maybe home isn't the best place for you right now. Would you want to go to boarding school?"

Sam thought for a minute, and then said, "Kadic." She knew they could afford it. Their parents hadn't been poor.

"What?"

"I know someone who goes there."

"I'll look into it tonight, then."

Sam stared. That had been so easy. "Tonight?"

"Yes, no one will be there tonight," he said.

Sam was happy, but she wasn't sure she believed him. "Why not?"

"Look, Kid. I'm trying to be nice. They're not coming because I told them not to." He snapped as they pulled into a parking lot.

Sam got out, her insides filled with hope for the future.

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I know it was sort of short, but I had to stop there. Review pleeeeease.

Next Chapter: Maybe XANA is Like Us

P.S. The Ramones rock!!


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